FCC Orders Early Review Of ABC Licenses After Kimmel Row
FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered an early review of ABC's eight broadcast licenses a day after Donald and Melania Trump's criticism of Jimmy Kimmel, prompting Disney to say it is confident and setting up protracted legal scrutiny.
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Overview
The FCC ordered an early review of ABC's eight broadcast licenses, the agency said.
The order came a day after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump publicly demanded ABC punish Jimmy Kimmel over a late-night joke, multiple accounts said.
Disney said it is confident it will be granted renewals and noted ABC's record of compliance, while Kimmel remains on air and has not apologized, multiple reports said.
ABC's eight station licenses are scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031, and Disney has until May 28 to complete renewal applications, sources said.
Experts and public-interest attorneys said the early-review process and any ensuing challenges could take years, could prompt litigation, and that revoking a license over programming is historically rare.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the clash as social-media outrage unlikely to produce regulatory action, using cautious language, selected insiders/experts, and structuring history of slow FCC responses. Direct quotes from the White House or NAB are presented as source content; framing arises from which perspectives are emphasized and which examples are highlighted.